More than one million people are reported missing in the U.S. In cases of abduction, a victim's mobile communications device (i.e. mobile phone) is generally not an effective means to contact emergency responders: it is too large to be undetected and the assailant would readily think to look for one; the victim would not have time to dial once or repeatedly to report the kidnapping; most police jurisdictions in the U.S. do not support 911 text messages; and the mobile device will quickly discharge so that it can no longer be remotely tracked.
Similarly, current products offering “SOS” emergency dialing with global positioning tracking of the user are not enabled for automated SMS text messaging. A victim of a violent crime will not be able to make and receive phone calls and input text messages. Most of these devices also raise concerns of User privacy because their ability to record the movement of a User. And they are constantly powered on when in use; therefore they are required to be constantly recharged via the User connecting to a power supply. This may put the User at unnecessary risk if the battery is low or if the device is forgotten.
Not only are improved alarm devices needed for individuals at risk of being victims of violence and/or accidents, they are also needed to protect infants, small children, and pets left in vehicles unattended. Since 1996, 35 babies die on average each summer in the U.S., and an additional 5000 are seriously injured as a result of being left in a vehicle, especially on a hot day. Additionally, there are an estimated 300 to 400 pets in the U.S. who die yearly from being left in over heated vehicles.
Although a number of systems exist to detect the presence of children and pets left in vehicles, they generally trigger alarms that only an individual near the vehicle would detect (horn beeping, headlights flashing, etc. . . . ). They lack the ability to respond to emergencies wherein the driver is incapacitated (i.e. stroke) or out of hearing range of the alarms.
Therefore there is a need within the art for low power portable devices that will automatically and manually activate a variety of alarms; and that will repeatedly notify emergency responders, friends, and family via wireless means when physically dangerous situations exist, either directly to the User or to others associated with the User (i.e. infants, children and pets left unattended in vehicles).